1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to article supports, hooks, loops, and etc., and more particularly to a hollow braided line formed of a length of preferably flame resistant and electrically non-conductive flexible material. The line includes a spliced loop formed at each end thereof, and is used to support and suspend articles such as electrical cables, pneumatic and hydraulic lines, ventilation ducts, etc. in the mining industry, and has further applications in many other industries such as suspending parts being painted from an overhead conveyor system, as well as other applications where good strength and resistance to flame and industrial chemicals is required.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many industries require some means of temporarily supporting or suspending various articles for various purposes, and often have need of a simple yet durable strap or loop which may be used as a hanger for various parts and components. Accordingly, various such devices have been developed in the past, but all have had one or more deficiencies which have rendered them unsuitable for use in demanding industries such as underground mining, where flame resistance, electrical non-conductivity, resistance to chemicals, and good strength, durability, and reliability are absolutely required.
In the past, the various devices manufactured for such purposes have not included all of the above properties, and moreover were not necessarily formed of highly visible materials providing for ease of visibility in darkened areas such as mines and the like. Moreover, such hanger loops, when formed of twisted or braided rope material, were often closed using means which were prone to slippage or damage, thus allowing the loop to open and release any articles being supported thereby. The present hollow braided line with double spliced loops responds to each of the above problems and deficiencies by using a suitable material, and forming a closed loop at each end of the line using that material, which loops are completely resistant to opening when strain is placed upon the line and its loops. A discussion of the related art of which the inventors are aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 330,087 issued on Nov. 10, 1885 to Leedham Binns describes an Endless Band Or Cord, comprising a single loop of hollow braided rope or the like which has been formed by inserting each of the opposite ends into the hollow braid opposite one another. The ends which are worked into the body of the rope or line are not interlocked with one another, and while Binns states that they cannot slip, experience has shown that such interwoven (but not interlocked) ends can slip, particularly in lines formed of synthetic materials having relatively low coefficients of friction. Moreover, Binns teaches away from the present double looped line, as he requires that both ends be used to form a single loop. The present invention requires that only a single end be interwoven with the standing portion of the line, thus allowing a loop to be formed at each end of a length of line.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,600,395 issued on Jun. 17, 1952 to John J. Domoj et al. describes a Keyhole Splice wherein the free end of the braided line is worked back through the standing end several times, by penetrating the standing end with a fid. The passages through the standing end are radially offset, so the free end weave through the standing end results in a spiral pattern. The free end does not pass back into the standing end to penetrate back through itself within the standing end, and to be captured within the standing end, as in the loops of the present double loop invention. Rather, the free end terminates outside the standing portion of the line, where it is subject to being snagged or caught on another object.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,929 issued on Oct. 16, 1990 to Eugene R. Melton, Jr. describes a Wrist Strap For Attracting An Item Of Sports Equipment To The Wrist. The Melton, Jr. strap is formed from a length of hollow braided line, with one end being inserted back into the hollow core of the free end or length to form a loop. This free end is then passed through the loop, which is left at least somewhat loose to form a configuration somewhat like a slip knot. In contrast, each loop of the present line with double spliced loops is formed by first passing one end of the line diametrically through the opposite portion, and then back through itself within and along the hollow core of the free portion of the line. The result is a loop which cannot slip, nor is any slippage desirable in the present line loops.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,344 issued on Nov. 5, 1991 to Thomas F. Gerker describes a Bowline Knot In A Braided Line, wherein a special hook is used to draw a doubled free end of the line back into and through the hollow core. The end remains captured within the core to form a doubled loop, but the two loops meet at the point where the free end enters the hollow core; the Gerker construction cannot provide a substantial length of line between the two loops, as in the present invention. Also, the free end of the line is passed through one of the loops, with the loop being pulled taut around the base of the free end. The captured end of the line is not positively secured within the core of the line, and can pull out, releasing the arrangement, unlike the present double looped line invention.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,703 issued on Jul. 30, 1996 to Boyd T. Barker, Jr. et al. describes a Knotted Cable Attachment Apparatus Formed Of Braided Polymeric Fibers. A small loop or eye is formed in a portion of the cable by passing the working end through the standing length, as in the first step in forming the loop configuration of the present invention. However, the working end is then passed back through the standing length of the line, rather than back into the working end portion within the hollow core, as in the present method. Thus, the size of the Barker, Jr. et al. eye formed may be adjusted by pulling on the working end, as it is not locked within the core of the line by the working end passing back through itself within the core so it cannot escape laterally through the sides of the core, as in the present configuration. Moreover, Barker, Jr. et al. teach away from the present invention wherein a separate loop of fixed size is formed in each of the two opposed ends of the line. Barker, Jr. et al. form the second loop in a different manner from the first loop or eye, similarly to the method used in forming the splice of the Domoj et al. patent, whereas the two loops of the present double looped line are identical to one another. Also, the second loop of the Barker, Jr. et al. cable is constructed to pass through the first eye or loop, whereas the two loops of the present invention are completely separate, and are separated by a length of line therebetween.
None of the above inventions and patents, either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.